Lyme Disease Science Blog

Move over nymphal ticks, larval deer ticks now pose a threat

The blacklegged tick has four life stages - egg, larva, nymph and adult. After it hatches, the tick must eat a blood meal (host) at every stage in order to survive. Researchers have long believed that adult female ticks could not transfer pathogens to their eggs. Therefore, larval ticks were considered pathogen-free and harmless. A new study, however, sheds light on disease transmission between life stages and suggests that we take these tiny, microscopic larvae a bit more seriously.

According to investigators from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), larval ticks can already be infected with Borrelia miyamotoi, after they hatch from the eggs. [1] This occurs through a process called transovarially transmission in which the adult tick transmits the B. miyamotoi bacteria to its offspring by infecting the eggs in its ovary.

There is evidence that infected blacklegged female ticks can pass Borrelia miyamotoi to their offspring, researchers say.

The authors suggest that public health officials consider revising the message for tick bite prevention campaigns to include larval ticks and the season they are most active – July and August. This is a time of year when people spend a lot of time outdoors, the authors state, and may be less vigilant protecting themselves from tick bites, as they mistakenly perceive this to be a safer season.

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Dr. Daniel Cameron, MD, MPH, is a nationally recognized leader for his expertise in the diagnosis and treatment of Lyme disease and other tick-borne illnesses. For more than 25 years, he has been treating adolescents and adults suffering from Lyme disease.

Introduction

Dr. Daniel Cameron, MD, MPH, is a nationally recognized leader for his expertise in the diagnosis and treatment of Lyme disease and other tick-borne illnesses. For more than 30 years, he has been treating adolescents and adults suffering from Lyme disease.